The asking price of property coming new to the market saw its usual seasonal fall at the start of December, but supply is getting tighter, Rightmove figures reveal.
The portal’s latest House Price Index showed values at £299,159, down 2.1% on November and with annual growth slowing from 4.5% to 3.4%.
Rightmove says this is in line with the average over the past six years.
Site visits in November were up 9% from 101m in November 2015 to 110m last month, feeding through to a 5.22% rise in sales agreed.
Rightmove says all regions except London are selling at higher levels than a year ago, with Yorkshire and the Humber experiencing the biggest rise at 15.4% followed by 13.3% in the North-East and 11% in Wales, while London is down by 7%.
But the portal warns that supply is failing to keep up with the increasing sales, with new listings only 2% above last year, meaning the average number of properties for sale per branch has fallen from 59 to 56 in a month, the lowest since March this year.
Average time to sell was 67 days, up from 65 in October and longer than the 60 days on average this time last year.
Looking ahead, Miles Shipside, Rightmove director and housing market analyst, predicted prices would rise by 2% in 2017, saying: “The price of property coming to market in 2016 is currently up by 3.4% compared to a year ago, so while a forecast rise of 2% in 2017 is a lessening of the pace, it would still be the seventh consecutive year of rising property prices.
“As well as prices moving out of reach for some buyers, the sword of Brexit uncertainty hangs over the market, an unknown factor that may – or may not – have damaging consequences for the economy and confidence.
“There was a bout of jitters with the unexpected referendum result, albeit now seemingly short-lived, but more may arrive after Article 50 is invoked.
“For the time being any nervousness is being over-ridden by high demand for the short supply of suitable homes for sale in the lower and middle market in many parts of the country.”
Comments (10)
“Site visits in November were up 9% from 101m in November 2015 to 110m last month, feeding through to a 5.22% rise in sales agreed.”
And the actual numbers of those ‘sales agreed’ would be…?
I think thats why its key to focous on your area, we’ve agreed 7 sales across two offices in two weeks and every one we speak to says that all the other agents are telling them nothing is selling. The portals informaiton could be dud, but I think as a rule those who give honest clear advice will achieve those sales, if your still trying to sell as start of the year prices (especially for London) good luck to you, you’ll remain on the market until you come back to planet earth! Every location is achieving differently, stick to your core area and know what your market is doing.
I can sell anything I can get my hands on….there is just not enough of it.
Lots of stock coming on here, just still 10% above what they should be on for, it’s amazing what people will try and command!
Remember there are serious issues with portal juggling and a large number of fake listings in these portals. I know a few dodgy agents with ridiculous listings.
Good point. I guess there is a possibility that juggling is so widespread that it is giving a totally false view of the market……like the one reported by rightmove!
I find it really interesting that Rightmove’s figures are totally different to experience in our area. How come they are saying sales are higher than last year, when all comments on PIE have been about falling stock levels and hardly any new properties to sell for months? Have I got this completely wrong or am I in some kind of parallel universe?
I was looking at the national figures last month and it looks like we’ll have around the same number of completions to last year
I’m assuming Rightmove are aware that agents need to sell houses to pay their fees, so if this is true then Rightmove should address their fees and reduce them. The way this industry is now going means it cannot sustain the constant attack on its turnover and something will have to give
Totally correct.
I had a bad dream last night that a portal was created by agents who apparently wanted to kill rightmoves power.
They created the site, everyone joined it,,but they all stayed on rightmove as well…then rightmove charged more and let purpleshits on it.
glad agents arent that stupid in real life………lol